You should never trust a skinny cook. By that line of thinking, Balina Pervola might be the most reliable and trustworthy chef in the land. However, when given the choice, one might be better served by paying her in gold, rather than offering her free run of the pantry as she works. To do otherwise is a good way to find one's pantry rapidly depleted by overzealous taste-testing and experimentation; after all, it would be criminally irresponsible to serve food one had not already sampled, and sometimes you need to make several attempts before you can say for certain that a dish is truly fit to serve at a banquet. Balina Pervola is nothing if not thorough.

Later that evening...

Art: goattrain (original)